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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. net — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — a penalty
  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