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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. field — a subject
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. field — for sport

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