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: leaves · safe · key · bear · fall · lean · pitch · stick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — in music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — to drop

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