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: drill · game · spell · rest · spring · nail · bank · temple

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — a practice
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — the season
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — a match

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