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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — in sport
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — of the year
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — tied together
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bank — for money

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