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 120 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: charge · trunk · cold · bank · band · bowl · craft · stem

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. craft — boats
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — not warm
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a music group
  20. craft — a skill
  21. charge — in control
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — a price

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