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: band · face · squash · hand · stem · shower · pit · bank

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stem — to come from
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. band — a music group
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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