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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fine — high quality
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lean — thin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wind — moving air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — rain
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cell — in biology

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