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: bay · hand · mine · row · ground · saw · board · straw

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — to get on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ground — a position

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