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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lean — thin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bat — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — completely
  19. swing — to play on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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