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: straw · pass · bound · rush · can · stem · staff · last

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. staff — employees

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