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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — crushed
  10. game — wild animals
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — a match
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. snap — to click
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fall — the season

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