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: jam · branch · cell · net · firm · press · pitcher · kid

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — after costs
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. firm — a company
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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