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: season · stock · snap · bore · march · roll · bank · bulb

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — a list
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — shares
  11. season — in sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — a cake
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to tire
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. march — the month

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