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: snap · bore · object · swing · spring · net · branch · kick

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. object — to protest
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — a coil
  14. net — in sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — an aim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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