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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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