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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. toast — bread
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bound — obliged
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — an explosive

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