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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — final
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — army training
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — to go on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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