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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — a permit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — a football final

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