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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — there
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — electricity
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — letters
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spell — a short time
  20. face — part of the head
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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