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 · suit · rest · wind · nail · roll · patient · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wind — moving air
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — in cards
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. roll — a list

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