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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — steady
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — army training
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — decided
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — a practice
  24. net — for catching

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