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: ruler · calf · chair · branch · mug · hide · wave · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mug — a face
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. net — in sport
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — a leader
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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