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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — a path
  15. rock — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. track — a song
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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