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: straw · net · club · stick · snap · mouse · squash · saw

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for golf
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. snap — to click
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the sport

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