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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to bend
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lean — thin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kid — child
  15. drill — army training
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — lets stay

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