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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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