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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. march — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to bend
  6. march — the month
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — thin
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — in a race

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