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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — to come down
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — a country

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