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 · rush · spell · sharp · mug · perch · can · content

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — happy
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — magic
  24. content — the amount

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