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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — a trail
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — high quality
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fine — all right
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a music group

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