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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. tear — to rip
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to confront
  12. tear — from crying
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — of a river
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fork — in a road

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