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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. swing — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — a break
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — in golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — the season
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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