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: last · club · chip · cabinet · content · root · bank · drill

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chip — for betting
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — a practice
  8. club — a group
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — final
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — army training
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. club — for golf

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