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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hand — help
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — thin

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