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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — of a river
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mate — a friend
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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