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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to tire
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — bread
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — to grow

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