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: rash · lean · can · bark · temple · pit · row · rule

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — a hole
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — a series
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rule — a law
  24. temple — a place of worship

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