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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — obliged
  6. net — after costs
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. land — to come down
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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