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: lie · land · bank · race · cabinet · row · cold · dip

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — a contest
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cold — not warm
  12. race — the arms race
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — humankind
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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