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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a song
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a path

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