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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ground — a position
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ground — the earth

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