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: pit · straw · stem · cabinet · mark · drill · lean · file

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pit — in a race
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — the tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. file — a tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — of a plant

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