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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — dry grass
  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