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: lean · wound · cell · straw · object · nail · clip · leaves

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — to bend
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. object — to protest
  9. clip — a video
  10. cell — in biology
  11. object — an aim
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cell — a phone
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lean — thin

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