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: straw · racket · lash · bound · wax · stand · patient · bat

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — certain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — to bear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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