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: bore · mouse · object · rest · temple · straw · cold · fork

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — a break
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cold — an illness

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