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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — a box
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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