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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cue — for pool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. net — after costs
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — for paper

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