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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — a contest
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kid — child
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. race — humankind
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. face — to confront
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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