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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. drill — the tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. drill — a practice
  11. net — in sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. net — for catching
  24. dip — to dunk

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