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: staff · mouse · mate · row · lean · branch · ground · bear

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — a position
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — thin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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