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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making 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. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. march — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — final
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — finally
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — a loud noise

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