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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — army training
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — an explosive

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