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: date · present · dip · stick · ground · pop · key · straw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — the earth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. present — there
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — in music
  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