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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fall — the season
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — after costs
  18. cell — a phone
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cell — in biology

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