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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a song
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. field — a subject
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — a trail
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — a path
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — for sport

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