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 · straw · patient · hide · roll · wound · chip · ruler

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a list
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chip — to eat

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