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: spring · net · kid · pop · roll · calf · bank · file

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pop — music
  17. roll — a list
  18. pop — soda
  19. kid — to tease
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kid — child
  22. file — a tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. bank — for money

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