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 116 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: tube · row · net · drill · ground · bear · bank · vault

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. row — a line
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — a position
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. drill — army training
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — a practice
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — the tool

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