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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rule — a law
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — after costs
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. fork — in a road

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