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: nail · stand · wind · bank · mine · season · game · cap

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — of the year
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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