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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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