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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. toast — bread
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — a box
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — a match
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. drill — a practice

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