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: bank · chest · fine · net · roll · bay · spring · mark

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — all right
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — after costs
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spring — a coil
  22. roll — a list
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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