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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — a container
  3. ground — crushed
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — soda
  13. present — there
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pop — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ground — a position
  21. pop — to visit
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tube — in a tire

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