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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — magic
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — thin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — clever
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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