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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bass — low music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to bend
  23. object — a thing
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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