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: fall · can · mate · sharp · march · hand · lean · wind

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mate — a partner
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hand — in cards

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