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: race · rule · straw · jam · can · kick · pop · perch

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — a contest
  5. pop — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — soda
  8. race — the arms race
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rule — a law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — humankind
  19. rule — government
  20. pop — to visit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — to be able to
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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