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: row · mug · stick · straw · land · tube · rush · rest

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mug — a face
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — a country
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — the underground
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — a thrill

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