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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — final
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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