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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. march — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hide — animal skin

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