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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a word
  7. field — farmland
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — there
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — from a university
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — temperature
  22. field — for sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — a division

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