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: club · wake · trunk · bank · fan · stand · land · rule

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. land — a country
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — for dancing
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — a law
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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