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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — a thing
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — a law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — an aim
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — government
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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