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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ground — a position
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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