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: lie · wave · lean · bound · degree · straw · arm · squash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — thin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the sport
  8. degree — an amount
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. degree — from a university
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — a straw man

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