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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — to go on
  7. land — a country
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. last — finally
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — a division
  21. land — to come down
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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