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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — a subject
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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