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 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — the season
  24. 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