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: hand · kick · march · lean · nail · rash · leaves · fall

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fall — the season
  5. hand — in cards
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — on a finger

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