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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spell — letters
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wound — an injury

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