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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to tire
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — a song
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. track — a path
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lean — thin
  24. bore — gave birth

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