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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — from a university
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lean — to bend
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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