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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — army training
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. season — of the year
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bat — in an idiom

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