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: degree · swing · cue · pop · straw · bark · foot · cap

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. degree — an amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — soda
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. swing — in golf
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — a signal

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