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: mug · cap · straw · shower · bound · bear · pass · lean

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lean — thin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — the animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — certain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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