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: bowl · cap · straw · lean · pit · fan · kick · object

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — in football
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — thin
  24. cap — a lid

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