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: cap · stick · row · lean · bay · spring · wave · object

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — to protest
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. spring — the season
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spring — a coil
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cap — a lid
  21. row — a line
  22. spring — of water
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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