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

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — crushed
  6. branch — a division
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — a position
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ground — the earth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. degree — temperature
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. degree — from a university
  24. branch — of a bank

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