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: pitch · bank · bore · shower · game · fork · bear · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — a match
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fork — to eat with

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