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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — shares
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rash — hasty
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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