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: chair · straw · degree · pit · leaves · board · pass · safe

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. degree — temperature
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — an amount
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. safe — a strongbox

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