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

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. 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. rash — hasty
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. 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