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: snap · march · patient · track · nail · wake · staff · straw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — a trail
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. staff — employees
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — a stick

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