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: bay · hand · wake · lean · cue · rest · bat · bank

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hand — help
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lean — thin
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hand — part of the body

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