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: band · rash · roll · ruler · rush · arm · saw · straw

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a ring
  17. roll — a list
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — dry grass

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