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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — the underground
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — a container
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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