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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — temperature
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a word
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — the cause
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rush — hurry
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lean — to rest against

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