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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — there
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — a video
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — to cut
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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