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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — a video
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. charge — electricity
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — to cut
  12. perch — the fish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a list
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — a thing

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