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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in biology
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a document
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. swing — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. rock — to move gently

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