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

Word bank: branch · net · clip · ruler · saw · bat · lean · nail

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — a division
  15. clip — for paper
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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