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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. march — the month

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