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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spring — a coil
  22. content — the amount
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spring — the season

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