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: patient · suit · content · wave · toast · spring · key · straw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. key — in music
  22. content — happy
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — for a lock

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