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 · branch · rest · fall · stock · hand · mug · lash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — a break
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — the season
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — thin
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a face
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — an eyelash

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