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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — finally
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — to point toward

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