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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — a division

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