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: rest · board · saw · pit · chip · drill · straw · wake

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — a break
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a hole
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. board — to get on

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