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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — the animal

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