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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. 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. hand — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — help
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. roll — a list
  9. snap — to click
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — in cards
  12. band — a ring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — a cake
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — for golf
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. 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