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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — an aim
  7. board — a committee
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cold — an illness
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fork — in a road
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — a thing

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