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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. degree — an amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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