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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — to bend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — goods
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — shares
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. perch — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lean — thin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. drill — the tool

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