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: hand · patient · club · scale · cabinet · drill · straw · rest

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — a group
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — dry grass

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