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 · pop · lean · key · degree · roll · mine · mouse

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. pop — music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. key — in music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mine — for digging
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. roll — a cake

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