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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — thin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret

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