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 116 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: field · can · squash · degree · safe · bank · band · branch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. field — farmland
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. degree — an amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — a division
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. band — a music group

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