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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. kid — to tease
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — of the year
  12. face — to confront
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a great time
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kid — child
  24. last — to go on

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