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: fine · field · bat · calf · straw · chair · sharp · drill

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — farmland
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chair — to sit on

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