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: row · bear · bowl · wind · jam · bark · branch · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. net — after costs
  12. row — a line
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — in sport

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