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: club · rock · firm · bank · wind · key · fall · bat

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — a group

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