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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chair — a leader
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. clip — a video

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