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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. net — in sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. land — a country
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — for catching
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. squash — the sport

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