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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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