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: race · branch · perch · field · object · safe · clip · bank

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — a subject
  4. object — to protest
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — a thing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. race — the arms race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — humankind
  18. field — farmland
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. branch — a division
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — of a tree

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