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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — thin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. staff — a stick
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. safe — out of danger

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