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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — an amount
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — a stone
  20. degree — temperature
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — for a computer

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