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: ground · lean · key · rush · cue · foot · tube · straw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — thin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — for a lock
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — for pool

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