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: chip · branch · lie · straw · degree · foot · hide · race

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. race — a contest
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — temperature
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. race — the arms race
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — a straw man

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