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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. game — wild animals
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stock — shares
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a path
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. game — a match
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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