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: fine · pitcher · ruler · straw · track · wind · mark · face

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. face — to confront
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — part of the head
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — moving air

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