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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cap — of ice
  5. march — the month
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. row — a line
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. march — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. land — to come down
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — ground
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stand — for spectators

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