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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pound — a weight
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — for sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — a list
  24. dip — to sink

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