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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lean — thin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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