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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — low music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — obliged
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bass — the fish

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