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: pass · mouse · land · straw · arm · fan · wake · track

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. land — to come down
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — ground
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — part of the body

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