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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — a price
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. drill — army training
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — child

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