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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — the most important part
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — in music
  11. bass — low music
  12. clip — a video
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — the fish

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