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 ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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