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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — of a river
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — letters
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — for catching

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