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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cell — a phone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — a country
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cell — in biology
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — to come down
  24. shower — to wash

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