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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — to bend
  4. can — to be able to
  5. field — farmland
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. field — for sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. shower — rain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. field — a subject
  24. rush — a thrill

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