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: straw · degree · pitch · plane · racket · snap · safe · face

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. face — to confront
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — completely
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — a loud noise

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