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: pass · season · straw · club · saw · arm · dip · court

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. season — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — a sauce

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