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 120 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: content · wound · straw · bowl · arm · march · rush · stand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — the amount
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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