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: swing · perch · dip · object · arm · rock · straw · hand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. swing — music
  7. rock — music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — a thing
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — part of the body

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