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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — thin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bat — in an idiom

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