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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — music
  3. race — a contest
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — a stone

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