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: wake · season · kid · mark · straw · mine · ball · stick

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. season — of the year
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kid — child
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a great time
  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