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: arm · charge · straw · rush · cue · march · jam · last

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. last — final
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — a price
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — for pool
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — to hurry

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