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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — to bend
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. game — a match
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of a king
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. court — for sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. tube — a container

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