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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — a subject
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — to rob
  21. field — farmland
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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