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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — of a river

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