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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — to protest
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — an aim
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — an explosive

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