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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — of the year
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — a publisher
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. press — to push
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — newspapers
  24. degree — from a university

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