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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rush — hurry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wind — moving air
  9. clip — a video
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — army training
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. clip — for paper

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