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: content · pass · band · key · kid · bank · stem · spell

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. kid — to tease
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — the amount
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kid — child
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pass — to succeed

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