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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — to get on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. board — a committee
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — to shout
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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