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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — help
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — a hint
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. game — a match
  20. hand — in cards
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — for money

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