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: straw · can · wound · kid · band · fan · suit · stand

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — child
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. can — to be able to
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — to tease
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — on your feet

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