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

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hand — help
  3. net — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hide — to keep secret

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