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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. charge — electricity
  6. drill — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — army training
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ruler — for measuring

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