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 · rock · spell · fine · bank · trunk · shower · net

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — all right
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. net — in sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — music
  24. trunk — of a car

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