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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cue — for pool
  24. dip — to sink

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