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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cell — in biology
  12. club — for dancing
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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