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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — to wash
  7. last — final
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. drill — army training
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — to go on
  21. shower — rain
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. drill — the tool

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