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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — bread
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lie — to recline

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