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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — an illness
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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