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: tube · staff · bat · suit · straw · arm · pop · wake

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — to fit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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