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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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