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 120 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: patient · fan · bat · tube · bear · rush · scale · club

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for golf

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