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: wake · bowl · pitcher · kick · chest · bank · mine · pound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chest — of your 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