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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a line
  8. tube — a container
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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