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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — thin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — a short time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kick — in football
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kid — child
  24. hand — help

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