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: roll · mine · bank · mark · game · chest · present · firm

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — a company
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — steady
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. chest — a box
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — a gift

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