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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to click
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — of a river
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. sharp — clever

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