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: stem · clip · patient · pass · cabinet · branch · march · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. march — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. clip — a video
  24. branch — a division

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