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: sharp · safe · bore · straw · field · bass · lash · stick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — a subject
  7. bass — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to tire
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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