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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cell — a phone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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