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: degree · saw · jam · ground · snap · pound · track · straw

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — a position
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. degree — an amount
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. snap — to click
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — a weight
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — temperature
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ground — crushed
  24. straw — dry grass

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