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: mark · straw · club · rest · court · march · tear · can

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — a group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — to rip
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for golf
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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