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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — a subject
  6. spell — letters
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spell — a short time
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. field — farmland
  18. dip — to sink
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — magic
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. face — to confront

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