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: pound · lean · cabinet · game · ground · tube · straw · key

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — a match
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tube — the underground

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