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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — for dancing
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. content — the amount
  13. club — for golf
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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