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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wind — moving air
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. object — to protest
  8. capital — money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — a thing
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a city
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. toast — bread

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