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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bound — tied together
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — child
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitch — completely
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bound — certain

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