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: cold · foot · bank · staff · lean · toast · ground · straw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ground — a position
  4. toast — bread
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bank — for money
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — the earth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lean — thin
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cold — an illness
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cold — not warm

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