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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — crushed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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