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: trunk · fall · shower · pass · deal · straw · content · stick

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. deal — to handle
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — the season
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. content — happy
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. shower — rain
  23. content — the amount
  24. pass — to spend time

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