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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rash — a series
  15. row — to paddle
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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