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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — to protest
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — a thing
  16. net — after costs
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — a city

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