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 120 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 · stick · suit · chip · straw · shower · bass · game

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. straw — dry grass

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