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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of a king
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — of law
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — to shout
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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