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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — help
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hand — in cards

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