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: mouse · hand · plane · last · straw · can · field · present

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. field — farmland
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. present — there
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — finally
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — final
  17. hand — help
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — a gift
  23. field — for sport
  24. last — to go on

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