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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. field — farmland
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. club — a group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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