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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — low music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — an aircraft

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