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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — to come from
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — there
  10. squash — to crush
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — a publisher
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — to push
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. present — the time now
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — newspapers

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