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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. file — a tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a document
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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