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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — to come down
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — music
  14. land — a country
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — a subject
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to click

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