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 124 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. root — of a word
  10. file — a tool
  11. land — a country
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — the fruit
  22. file — a document
  23. bank — for money
  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