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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — a line
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to confront
  24. row — to paddle

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