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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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