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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — a practice
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. band — a music group

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