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

Word bank: hand · wake · spell · bank · lash · key · pitcher · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spell — letters
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — a short time
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — help

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