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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bass — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bass — low music
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — to fit
  24. perch — for a bird

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