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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. capital — a city
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — for digging
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to dunk

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