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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — there
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — a trace
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — the time now
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pop — music

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