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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — to visit
  4. band — a ring
  5. lean — thin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a music group
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — soda

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