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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — rain
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bat — for baseball

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