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: clip · roll · suit · chest · rock · stand · board · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — to fit
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. roll — a list
  7. rock — a stone
  8. clip — a video
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chest — a box
  14. clip — to cut
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — of your body
  19. clip — for paper
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rock — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. board — a committee
  24. stand — to bear

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