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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — after costs
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. field — farmland
  19. current — electric
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — government
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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