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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — a company
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — a stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — steady
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — of a plant
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — in cards

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