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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — a break
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  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