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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · toast · cell · chip · lean · stick

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — thin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — bread
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — a phone
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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