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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — with your hand

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