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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — clever
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — in a road
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. race — the arms race
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. race — humankind
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. race — a contest
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — soda

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