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 · tube · swing · lean · ball · suit · ground · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — thin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tube — the underground
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — clothes
  18. swing — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tube — in a tire

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