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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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