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: rock · season · straw · swing · tube · sharp · mouse · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — in sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tube — the underground
  17. swing — to play on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — a container

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