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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — thin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — farmland
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. field — a subject
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bank — for money
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cell — a phone

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