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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. present — a gift
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — for betting
  10. track — a song
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — there
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — in music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cold — an illness

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