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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a match
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — steady
  11. game — wild animals
  12. firm — decided
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. capital — money
  18. firm — a company
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — the earth

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