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: can · mark · branch · straw · pitch · lash · ruler · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. branch — a division
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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