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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tear — to rip
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — to be able to

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