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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — to handle
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — in football
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — a short time

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