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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — a gift
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — there

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