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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. ground — a position
  14. band — a ring
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. patient — a sick person

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