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 · kick · wave · temple · cabinet · chair · ground · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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