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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. band — a ring
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — a box
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — hasty
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to spend time

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