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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mark — a grade
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — soda
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — a weight
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — on a roll

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