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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. row — to paddle
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. game — wild animals
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a match
  11. press — to push
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. row — a line
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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