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: wound · straw · net · suit · bat · fan · bank · dip

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — for catching
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — in sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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