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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a song
  3. object — an aim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. object — a thing
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — happening now
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. object — to protest
  24. current — of water

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