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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. board — to get on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. safe — out of danger

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