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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a cup
  4. march — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — to sink
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tear — to rip
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — a straw man

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