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: swing · patient · pitcher · arm · nail · pop · hide · hand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — help
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — music
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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