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 120 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: spring · net · branch · bowl · pass · hand · perch · trunk

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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