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: rest · can · kid · clip · stand · straw · mark · bay

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — child
  7. can — a tin
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kid — to tease
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mark — a grade

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