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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. club — for golf
  3. last — final
  4. file — a line of people
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — of ice
  10. club — a group
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a document
  18. last — to go on
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. last — finally

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