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: branch · bark · net · fan · prune · stock · mate · deal

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — to breed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mate — a friend
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. branch — a division

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