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: straw · sharp · pitcher · rush · object · club · mate · bear

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — for dancing
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — the animal

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