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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — of water
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fine — a penalty

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