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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. swing — music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — of water
  6. craft — boats
  7. firm — a company
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bat — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spring — a coil
  17. swing — to play on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spring — the season
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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