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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. last — finally
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. land — ground
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. present — the time now
  10. ball — a dance
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — to go on
  17. swing — music
  18. land — a country
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. land — to come down
  24. wake — a trail

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