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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. craft — boats
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — help
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. degree — temperature
  16. court — of a king
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — to rip
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for 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