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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a hole
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — of water
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spring — the season
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — in music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wind — moving air

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