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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. branch — a division
  4. chest — a box
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kid — child
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — government
  17. tube — a container
  18. rule — a law
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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