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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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 rest against
  2. cell — in biology
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — thin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mine — for digging
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  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