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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. scale — in music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. charge — a price
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a dance
  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