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: present · ground · hand · rock · bat · bank · leaves · chair

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — help
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. present — there
  24. hand — in cards

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