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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — a measure
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — of a king
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — to play on
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. swing — music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — finally
  24. foot — part of the body

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