ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · trunk · patient · date · hand · perch · bass · safe

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. date — the fruit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. drill — the tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com