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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — of the year
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — a division
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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