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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — to go on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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