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: bank · straw · board · dip · land · wake · content · pitcher

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — ground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — a jug

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