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: hide · straw · bulb · spring · spell · bass · chest · stock

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — goods
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spring — a coil

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