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 116 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: tube · snap · land · spell · hand · ground · lean · bank

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. land — ground
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tube — a container
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — help
  21. lean — thin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — to rest against

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