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: chair · coach · craft · bank · key · land · bound · mine

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — for money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chair — a leader
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — a country
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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