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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ground — the earth
  6. content — happy
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. suit — clothes
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — the instrument

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