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: branch · mug · rash · can · fine · cap · stick · net

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mug — a face
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — a lid
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. can — a tin

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