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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — the season
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — goods
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — a cake

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