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 116 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 · staff · lean · track · mark · wind · hand · net

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hand — help
  5. net — in sport
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — thin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to bend
  14. staff — a stick
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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