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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a music group
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — army training
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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