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: wind · bound · saw · branch · temple · net · firm · rush

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — in sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — certain
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — to hurry

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