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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. land — a country
  8. shower — rain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — for digging
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — of the leg

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