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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — after costs
  3. court — of law
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. roll — a list
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lie — to recline
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — for catching

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