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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. track — a path
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a song
  8. content — happy
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spring — of water
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — the season
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — a strongbox

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