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 116 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 · rock · tear · row · patient · saw · straw · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bound — obliged
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stem — to come from
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. row — to paddle

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