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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. date — the fruit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cold — an illness
  23. net — for catching
  24. date — on the calendar

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