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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — the underground
  11. row — to paddle
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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