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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — to eat
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — high quality
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — for golf
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — all right

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