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: bat · spell · patient · foot · straw · sharp · fan · mug

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — a cup
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fan — a supporter

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