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: wound · wax · wind · hide · bank · branch · field · pound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — a subject
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. field — farmland
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a bank

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