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: tear · board · rush · game · bank · pitcher · leaves · spring

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — of water
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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