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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spring — a coil
  10. last — final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. race — a contest
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — an aim
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — a thing
  24. bank — for money

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