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 116 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: bound · bank · saw · file · wake · pound · wound · kick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. file — a tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — obliged
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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