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 116 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: leaves · shower · stem · bowl · racket · cabinet · nail · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cabinet — ministers

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