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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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 — magic
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fall — the season
  17. capital — a city
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. charge — in control
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — of ice
  24. capital — money

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