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: toast · hand · bound · rest · spell · bowl · land · bank

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — magic
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — certain
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — help
  24. land — ground

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