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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — farmland
  5. bound — certain
  6. race — humankind
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — of a river
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. bound — obliged
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. safe — out of danger

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