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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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