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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. last — final
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — to go on
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — letters
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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