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: roll · mug · patient · straw · mine · file · branch · coach

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mug — a cup
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — of a tree

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