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: track · bat · fall · bank · coach · bowl · arm · roll

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. roll — a list
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bank — of a river
  24. arm — part of the body

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