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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. object — an aim
  5. club — for golf
  6. current — of water
  7. fine — all right
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. drill — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — help
  16. club — a group
  17. current — happening now
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — for dancing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — electric

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