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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — of a river
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — a video
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — child
  24. wax — to grow

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