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: game · straw · mine · season · saw · cabinet · pound · wave

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — in sport
  12. game — a match
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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