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: bank · kick · net · squash · branch · field · calf · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — for catching
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in 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