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: stick · wound · straw · lash · snap · patient · rule · coach

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. snap — to click
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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