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: lean · scale · ground · prune · bore · bowl · straw · chair

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ground — the earth

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