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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — certain
  19. rash — a series
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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