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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — in a road
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — of the year
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — an aim
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lie — an untruth

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