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

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — obliged
  9. face — to point toward
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. present — there
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. branch — of a tree

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