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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — a price
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — thin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. prune — to trim

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