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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — farmland
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — to drill
  19. field — for sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. track — to keep track
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. field — a subject

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