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: board · bulb · press · lash · ball · branch · net · game

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — a division
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — in sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — a publisher
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. press — newspapers
  14. net — for catching
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — to push
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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