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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spring — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — to come down
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — ground

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