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 120 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 · swing · fall · deal · rush · mouse · row · mine

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mine — for digging
  9. swing — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. swing — to play on

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