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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. clip — a video
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — there
  12. lean — to bend
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — a gift
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — a country
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — ground

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