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: rule · hand · fall · present · nail · dip · lean · chest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — thin
  5. chest — a box
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — to sink
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — the season
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — help
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to bend

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