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: row · coach · club · ball · branch · patient · straw · net

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — for dancing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a dance
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — a line
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — for golf
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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