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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — all right
  7. present — a gift
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — thin
  20. present — there
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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