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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — to bend
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — a container
  19. chest — a box
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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