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 · stick · fan · rest · snap · bass · kick · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — a break

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