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: straw · march · wave · track · arm · cell · hand · saw

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — a path
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hand — in cards
  11. march — music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. track — a song
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — help

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