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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — an illness
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — a sauce

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