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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — to sink

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