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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. row — a line
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — a division
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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