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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — a subject
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — boats
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — a skill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — an agreement

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