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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a cake
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. roll — a list

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