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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kid — child
  13. chest — a box
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — magic

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