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: track · present · field · degree · wave · jam · toast · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. degree — from a university
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. field — farmland
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. present — a gift
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — a subject
  18. present — the time now
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. present — there
  23. field — for sport
  24. toast — bread

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