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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. hand — help
  9. ball — a dance
  10. scale — in music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — of a river
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — army training
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — the time now
  21. drill — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. present — there

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