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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lean — thin
  12. spell — magic
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — the cause
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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