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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. field — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. branch — a division
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rule — a law
  13. wind — moving air
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — government
  19. season — in sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hide — animal skin

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