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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — a line
  8. content — happy
  9. present — the time now
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. present — a gift
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. present — there
  24. shower — rain

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