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: row · squash · branch · field · bowl · content · net · cabinet

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. content — the amount
  7. squash — to crush
  8. field — a subject
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. field — for sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. net — after costs
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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