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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bat — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. deal — to handle
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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