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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. game — wild animals

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