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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. game — a match
  24. rash — hasty

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