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 116 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: charge · can · lean · snap · bark · hand · leaves · kid

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. can — to be able to
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. snap — to click
  16. kid — child
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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