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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. lean — to bend
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — music
  8. pop — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pop — soda
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — a song
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hide — animal skin
  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