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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. foot — a measure
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chest — a box
  12. degree — an amount
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. club — for dancing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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