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: cold · date · stick · wind · rush · court · bank · calf

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bank — of a river
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — for sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — hurry
  20. date — the fruit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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