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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — a box
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — all right
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — a subject
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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