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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lean — thin

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