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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · patient · straw · racket · spell · pitch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — completely

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