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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — all right
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — for sport
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — help
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — electric
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. court — of law
  21. rest — a break
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — a penalty

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