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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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