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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — soda
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — help
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — ground
  24. rest — a break

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