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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. row — a line
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — magic
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — belonging to me

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