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: stock · sharp · straw · staff · bat · ruler · degree · root

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — an amount
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — temperature
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. bat — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. sharp — clever
  24. root — the cause

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