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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cold — an illness
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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