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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — a group
  11. perch — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. wind — moving air
  24. perch — for a bird

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