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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — a series
  3. current — electric
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rash — hasty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — a face
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — of water
  23. perch — the fish
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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