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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — a practice
  9. shower — rain
  10. drill — army training
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. stem — to come from
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — thin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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