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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — to play on
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. bat — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. band — a music group
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. swing — music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mouse — the animal

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