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

Word bank: bank · present · straw · last · nail · kid · face · sharp

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — child
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. kid — to tease
  9. face — to point toward
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — the time now
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — clever
  17. last — to go on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — final
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — on a finger

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