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: calf · net · face · board · branch · club · current · cap

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — a hat
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for golf
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — a lid
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. net — for catching
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — a group
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — a division
  24. cap — of ice

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