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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — of ice
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — thin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a lid
  24. nail — for a hammer

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