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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — a tin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chest — a box
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stock — shares
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stock — goods

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