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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. craft — boats
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — the earth
  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