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 120 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: scale · mug · temple · pass · suit · cold · straw · hand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hand — help
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — in music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — to fit
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. scale — size or range

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