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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a line
  6. lean — thin
  7. cell — a phone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in biology
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — with a leg

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