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: stick · row · chest · sharp · nail · wax · straw · leaves

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. row — to paddle
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. row — a line

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