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: wake · straw · cabinet · content · craft · saw · pound · rock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — boats
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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