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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — happy
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spell — a short time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — of a river
  24. content — the amount

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