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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — of water
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — happening now
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. calf — of the leg

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