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 · hand · branch · bore · spell · rest · cell · board

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — in cards
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. net — in sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — for catching
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — help
  14. net — after costs
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — magic
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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