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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stand — to bear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bass — low music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tear — from crying
  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