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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. squash — the sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — of the year
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. track — a song
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. season — in sport

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