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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — low music
  21. chest — a box
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — in music

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