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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — letters
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — magic
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spring — the season
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — for money

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