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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. band — a ring
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. foot — a measure
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — all right
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a music group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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