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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wax — to grow
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. straw — a straw man

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