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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. capital — a city
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — the time now
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. capital — money
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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