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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. spell — letters
  3. tube — the underground
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for dancing
  6. net — for catching
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — an aim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. club — for golf
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — after costs

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