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: kid · snap · perch · bound · stand · rush · charge · lean

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to click
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bound — tied together
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bound — obliged

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