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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — electric
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — a price
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — thin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitch — completely

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