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: suit · date · game · net · deal · staff · cold · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. net — in sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. net — after costs
  14. cold — an illness
  15. net — for catching
  16. cold — not warm
  17. game — a match
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. date — the fruit
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — in cards

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