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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to click
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ground — a position
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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