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: rush · pitch · coach · present · mine · straw · saw · prune

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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