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 116 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: cold · stock · perch · cue · bore · straw · board · last

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — finally
  5. perch — the fish
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — a hint
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. last — final
  24. cue — a signal

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