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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cold — an illness
  7. root — of a word
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — the cause
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — thin

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