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 · perch · bowl · craft · tube · rule · degree

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rule — a law
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bank — of a river
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chest — a box
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — the underground
  19. craft — boats
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — to roll

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