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: wound · pound · nail · swing · craft · lash · patient · straw

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. patient — a sick person

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