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 116 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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — in a road
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — employees

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