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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. content — the amount
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — on a finger

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