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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. season — in sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bank — of a river

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