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: wound · sharp · board · stand · swing · mouse · straw · stem

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — in golf
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mouse — the animal

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