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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rash — a series
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — a container
  8. squash — the sport
  9. game — a match
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — thin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. net — after costs
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — to crush
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — the underground
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — tied together

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