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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to bend

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