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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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 — dry grass
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. swing — in golf
  4. plane — a tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. swing — music
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. drill — the tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. drill — army training
  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