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

Word bank: scale · branch · mug · track · bore · calf · content · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — happy
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — a division
  9. net — for catching
  10. track — a path
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mug — a cup
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — a song
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — to tire

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