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: craft · dip · chest · bank · cabinet · fan · bat · rule

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. craft — boats
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chest — a box
  11. dip — to sink
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — a law
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. bat — in an idiom

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