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: pop · foot · straw · season · club · bank · rash · wave

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. club — for golf
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. club — a group

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