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: ground · stand · chest · saw · patient · pass · straw · wave

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chest — a box
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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