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 120 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: fine · bear · lean · staff · straw · club · spring · ruler

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — of water
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. staff — employees
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — a group
  18. staff — a stick
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — all right
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — to rest against

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