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: stick · bat · straw · root · charge · firm · date · degree

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. degree — temperature
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. root — of a plant
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. root — of a word
  9. degree — from a university
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. firm — steady
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — electricity
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. firm — a company
  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