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 · scale · lean · foot · staff · dip · can · trunk

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — to sink
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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