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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — of a plant
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. root — of a word
  21. last — final
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — the cause
  24. bowl — a football final

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