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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. kick — in football
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — hurry

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