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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — hurry
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. swing — in golf

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