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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — wild animals
  6. charge — in control
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a match
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. charge — a price
  11. face — to confront
  12. spring — of water
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — a division
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bank — of a river

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