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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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