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: key · lean · tear · pit · charge · pitch · tube · wind

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pit — a hole
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pit — in a race

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