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: stand · bank · pound · rest · land · staff · bear · wound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — ground
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — a country

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