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: net · straw · roll · patient · pop · ruler · pitch · cold

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — in sport
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cold — not warm
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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