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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — a thrill

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