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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chair — a professorship

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