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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kid — child
  11. roll — a list
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rash — a series
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tube — a container

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