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 116 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's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a ring
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a rubber band

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