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

Word bank: suit · wax · game · stick · straw · last · rash · shower

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. last — to go on
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — hasty
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. last — finally
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — final
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. shower — rain
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — on the skin

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