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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — to get on
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — a video
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. board — a committee

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