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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — electric
  5. rest — a break
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — a subject
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a ring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — what's left

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