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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — to bend
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bank — of a river
  15. race — a contest
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. branch — a division
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — humankind

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