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: bound · rock · degree · straw · tear · net · ruler · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — an amount
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — a stone
  8. degree — temperature
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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