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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — certain
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — a trail
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — to rob

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