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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. net — in sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — electricity
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. object — to protest
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — for catching
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — a thing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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