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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — to bear
  13. firm — decided
  14. pop — to visit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — a company

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