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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — dry grass

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