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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. face — to confront
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — part of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kick — in football
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to point toward
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. scale — size or range

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