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 · nail · straw · patient · saw · shower · track · race

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — the arms race
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — a contest
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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