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: stick · bowl · bank · pop · clip · band · spring · mine

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pop — to visit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spring — a coil
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pop — music

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