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: march · present · hide · tube · season · stand · mug · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — a cup
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. present — there
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — of the year
  11. mug — a face
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. march — the month
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. march — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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