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 116 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: patient · pitcher · bank · hide · stick · stem · ball · snap

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to click
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — to keep secret

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