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: tear · lie · patient · straw · pitcher · toast · safe · pitch

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — from crying

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