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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bass — low music
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — government
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — a law
  21. ball — a dance
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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