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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — ministers

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