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 116 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: mate · scale · pass · saw · band · game · ball · straw

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. game — a match
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — in music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. band — a music group
  23. ball — a great time
  24. straw — dry grass

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