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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — letters
  9. wax — to grow
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — in sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. net — after costs
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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