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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a friend
  4. present — there
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fine — all right
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. straw — dry grass

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