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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · race · fine · plane · bank · bay

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — all right
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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