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 120 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: cue · straw · stick · branch · bear · foot · rock · object

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. foot — a measure
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — a hint
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  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