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: saw · hide · rock · wave · straw · arm · pop · bay

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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