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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bound — tied together
  8. field — a subject
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bank — of a river
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — certain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. march — music

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