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: bass · present · bulb · charge · bear · pound · chair · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — there
  24. straw — a straw man

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