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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — for catching
  11. season — of the year
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — in sport

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