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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — the season
  10. content — happy
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — the amount
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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