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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for golf
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wind — moving air
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lean — to rest against

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