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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — a straw man

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