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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. object — an aim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a music group
  20. bat — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a rubber band

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