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: lean · rule · leaves · bass · clip · stand · squash · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — low music
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. clip — a video
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rule — government
  17. clip — for paper
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. squash — the vegetable

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