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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. straw — dry grass

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