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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — a division

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