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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — shares
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — a video
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — a straw man

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