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: mouse · cold · leaves · rock · bank · straw · chest · rule

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rule — a law
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chest — of your body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — government
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bank — of a river
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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