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 120 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: club · root · mouse · spring · net · mine · lie · bank

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bank — of a river
  24. root — of a plant

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