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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — thin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — in control
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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