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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. field — farmland
  4. can — to be able to
  5. field — for sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. field — a subject

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