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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. root — of a word
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — a hole
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — thin
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — the cause
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. roll — a list
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — a safe
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fine — all right

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