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: straw · mouse · rock · lie · chair · bear · sharp · saw

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rock — a stone

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