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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — the time now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — to rob
  7. shower — rain
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — a gift
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. shower — to wash
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mine — for digging
  23. present — there
  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