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: lie · wake · straw · jam · cap · current · toast · staff

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — to recline
  17. staff — a stick
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. current — electric
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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