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 120 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: straw · bass · leaves · fine · foot · lean · fall · rush

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lean — thin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the fish
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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