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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. roll — a list
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lean — thin

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