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: mark · coach · lean · stand · bear · cold · lash · nail

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lean — to bend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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