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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. hand — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rule — a law
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. squash — the sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — in traffic

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