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 120 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: face · bound · mug · drill · file · straw · scale · patient

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — the tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — to rob
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. file — a document
  14. drill — army training
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mug — a face
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — a practice
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — dry grass

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