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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — to fit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — thin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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