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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — government
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hand — help
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — the season
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — music

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