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: stick · net · wake · kick · lean · present · plane · season

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — there
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — a tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — for catching
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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