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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — a cup
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — a path
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. band — a ring
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pop — soda

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