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: lean · can · fall · tear · row · root · cell · plane

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cell — a phone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. row — to paddle

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