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: game · bank · fall · leaves · row · present · wax · hand

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — of a river
  7. present — there
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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