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: stick · bowl · straw · tube · ruler · kid · last · bass

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — final
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — to go on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — a container
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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