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: can · cold · field · key · squash · rule · bank · mouse

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — a subject
  10. cold — an illness
  11. can — to be able to
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — the sport

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