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 116 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 · staff · straw · last · squash · mate · bass · rock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — finally
  4. staff — employees
  5. last — final
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. last — to go on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bass — low music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — music

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