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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. club — a group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — help
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — a straw man

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