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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. degree — temperature
  16. track — to keep track
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — a contest
  21. track — a path
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. track — a song

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