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 116 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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. band — a ring
  5. kick — in football
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — a path
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. track — a song
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — a lid

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