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: rash · stick · cell · content · pass · straw · object · patient

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — a thing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — in biology

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