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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — wild animals
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. ground — a position
  14. game — a match
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. key — for a lock

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