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: firm · saw · net · safe · straw · pop · capital · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — for catching
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. firm — decided
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — a company
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — a city

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