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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spell — a short time

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