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: wake · coach · march · dip · net · face · straw · nail

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. face — part of the head
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — to point toward
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — a sauce

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