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: hand · march · season · wound · pass · wave · roll · bank

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — a list
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — of the year
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. roll — a cake

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