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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. roll — a list

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