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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — of water
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — from a university
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kid — child
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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