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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. staff — a stick
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — a permit
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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