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: arm · straw · bank · nail · date · wake · cold · bay

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. date — on the calendar

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