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: mug · last · shower · fine · net · rock · straw · wound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a face
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. net — for catching
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — in sport
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. last — final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — a penalty

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