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: charge · lean · arm · toast · spring · wind · clip · fall

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — a price
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spring — the season
  14. charge — in control
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — of water
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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