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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. squash — to crush
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — the fish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. face — to point toward

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