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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. file — a document
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — in football
  24. patient — a sick person

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