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: mine · fall · tear · safe · straw · row · swing · mouse

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. tear — to rip
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tear — from crying
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. row — to paddle
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — for digging

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