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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lean — to bend
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitch — completely

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