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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — electricity
  5. sharp — clever
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fork — in a road
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. content — happy
  20. hand — help
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — the underground

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