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: pitch · lie · mouse · cue · shower · patient · straw · land

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — a country
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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