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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. land — to come down
  5. swing — music
  6. key — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. key — for a lock
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pound — a weight
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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