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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — not warm
  3. present — the time now
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cold — an illness
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. scale — size or range
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — in football
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — a signal

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