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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — for light

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