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: bulb · court · straw · bore · bat · suit · rest · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — clothes
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — of a king
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of law
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to drill

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