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: band · lie · board · saw · bank · pitcher · land · deal

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — a country
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — ground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — of a river
  17. board — to get on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a rubber band

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