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: lash · file · ball · trunk · bat · land · cue · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. land — to come down
  5. cue — a signal
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bat — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. land — a country
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ball — a great time
  15. file — a document
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a tree

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