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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. game — a match
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — a leader
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — the cause

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