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

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. toast — bread
  9. shower — rain
  10. roll — a cake
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. roll — a list
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — the most admired

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