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

Word bank: field · branch · rock · rush · foot · mug · bound · kick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kick — in football
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mug — a face
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — certain
  23. foot — the bottom
  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