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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — in sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bound — certain
  24. rush — hurry

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