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: saw · ground · hand · jam · scale · straw · cabinet · stand

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — a position
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — to bear
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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