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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. march — the month
  5. season — in sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. season — of the year
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — to come from
  24. march — music

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