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: roll · toast · content · root · hand · scale · calf · bank

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. roll — a cake
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. scale — size or range
  9. content — happy
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — the amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. roll — a list
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. root — the cause
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — of the leg

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