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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · rash · stick · chair · straw · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chair — a leader
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. straw — a straw man

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