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: squash · bank · face · lean · land · season · chip · stick

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. land — a country
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — for money

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