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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — army training
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ground — a position
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — a hat
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. firm — decided
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — a video
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ground — crushed

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