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: net · lash · club · season · hide · branch · bat · squash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — of the year
  6. net — after costs
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. branch — a division
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — in sport
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. club — for golf

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