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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — happening now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — a stone
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rule — a law

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