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: prune · rash · lie · net · stick · patient · branch · mine

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — for digging
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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