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: craft · key · wind · wave · band · net · branch · hand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — for a lock
  13. band — a ring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hand — help
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — boats
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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