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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — to visit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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