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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — from a university
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — temperature

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