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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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