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

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. club — a group
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a city
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — a coil
  21. kick — in football
  22. mark — a trace
  23. club — for dancing
  24. season — in sport

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