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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. clip — a video
  24. staff — a stick

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