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: tube · mouse · mark · straw · row · wake · march · cabinet

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cabinet — ministers

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