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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · wake · current · lean · tear · ruler

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tear — to rip
  7. current — electric
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ruler — for measuring

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