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: pitcher · mine · straw · net · row · sharp · pass · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. net — for catching
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bound — tied together
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — a permit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mine — belonging to me

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