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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — to protest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. degree — temperature

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