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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fall — to drop
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a face
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — the month
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. swing — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. march — music

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