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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — all right
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. firm — a company
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to click
  13. firm — decided
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — final
  17. firm — steady
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — to go on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. leaves — of a tree

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