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: wound · season · straw · foot · bowl · bass · bank · mine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bass — the fish
  4. season — of the year
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. season — in sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. foot — a measure

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