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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mug — a face
  3. bound — obliged
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — certain
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — an illness

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