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: present · roll · firm · bank · pitcher · wound · lie · plane

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a list
  5. present — there
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bank — of a river
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — steady
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. present — the time now

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