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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. shower — rain
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. staff — a stick

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