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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kid — child
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. clip — a video
  11. mine — for digging
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — a stick

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