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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — a cake
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to click
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — after costs

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