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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a dance
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — a container
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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