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: net · straw · trunk · cell · bank · branch · rush · bore

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rush — hurry
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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